


My Soul Mate Owns a Pawn Shop

by RosexKnight



Series: Soulmates!AU [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Soulmates AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-28
Updated: 2015-05-21
Packaged: 2018-03-15 14:49:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3451085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosexKnight/pseuds/RosexKnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Storybrooke remix of my fic "My Soulmate is The Dark One" - On your 18th birthday, a name appears on your palm for only you and one other to see. Your soul mate they say. Some people followed it, some people brushed it off as hocus-pocus, but it was undeniable that those who were fortunate enough to meet the person whose name was on their hand was destined for happiness. True Love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [My Soul Mate is The Dark One](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3451067) by [RosexKnight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosexKnight/pseuds/RosexKnight). 



You're 18 when it happens.

No one really know why it happens. But then again it’s been going on for so long most don’t question it. But it’s there.

On your 18th birthday, a name appears on your palm for only you and one other to see. Your soul mate they say. Some people followed it, some people brushed it off as hocus-pocus, but it was undeniable that those who were fortunate enough to meet the person whose name was on their hand was destined for happiness. True Love.

Belle French was 21, and she still hadn’t broken the habit of staring at the name on her palm. Rumpelstiltkin. It was so odd, but at least she hadn’t had the problem her friend Ariel had. She’d nearly given up at the seventieth Eric. She remembered getting teased about it by her friend Ruby before she moved with her mother to Manhattan. A name out of a fairy tale was indeed something you didn’t see every day, but all Belle could think about was whether or not he was anything like the countless interpretations of the character she’d scoured through over the years.

It was with a sigh that she went to her job. She truly hated it, but it paid the bills and kept her in her apartment.

"Customer service hotline may I please have your name?" She said cheerfully into her headset when the phone rang at her cubical.

"Mr. Gold." The voice at the other end said gruffly.

Oh lord he was going to be one of those customers. “I’m sorry sir I’m afraid I’m gonna need your full legal name to look you up in our system.”

A sigh, and then, very bitterly, “Rumpelstiiltskin Montgomery Gold.”

Belle went still. Silent. Rumpelstiltskin. That was what he’d said right?

"Hello? Did we get disconnected? If I have to call back I’ll—"

"You said your name was Rumpelstiltskin." Belle said, letting the words tumble out.

"Yes I trust you can spell it."

"No I…Yes I can. It’s written on my hand."

Silence fell on the other line. Heh. Seemed that had shut him up. But he was silent for too long, and she found herself swallowing hard and checking to make sure he hadn’t hung up.

"You have Belle written on yours right?" She ventured, her voice full of hope. How many Rumpelstiltskins could there be in the world? Surely only one. Two max.

"Where are you?" He finally choked.

"Manhattan. You?"

"Storybrooke. Maine."

"My dad lives in Storybrooke." Belle said, as if it was more of a realization. She scoured her mind for any mention of a Gold. "You own his business."

"I own half the town, Dearie."

"Well I haven’t been there in years."

He paused and Belle felt a smile on her lips. “Would you want to come back?”

"I think so."

"Pack then. Meet me at the airport tomorrow. I’ll bring you home. See you soon, Belle."

"You too, Rumpelstiltskin."

A click ended the call and everything felt surreal as she told her boss she was quitting and packed her things. When she met him he was standing at the entrance with his left palm up, leaning heavily on his cane. He was older than she thought but still handsome. She approached him, her own palm up to show him as well. And as they met in the airport like some romantic love story Belle realized she rather liked having a soul mate who was named after a fairy tale.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous Prompted: Modern!Soulmates: What *was* the reaction of Storybrooke to Gold being Belle's soulmate?

"His first name is Rumpelstiltskin?"

"Yeah. I’ve been calling him Rumple."

Belle took a bite of her hamburger as Ruby gaped at her from across the bar at Granny’s diner.

"I can’t believe how chill you’re being about this!" Ruby said.

"About what?"

Her friend just shook her head. “You were gone, Belle. You don’t get it. He has a reputation in town, and it’s not exactly a good one. He’s nothing but an old dragon.”

Belle grinned. “I like dragons.”

Ruby only groaned and went back to wiping down the counter. “Must be a soul mate thing…”

~

"I don’t like it." Her father said from his spot at the kitchen counter.

"What? But it’s the best dress I have…"

Belle looked down at herself. The dress was a golden yellow, which she found incredibly ironic, with a sweetheart neck and angled skirt. She was aware of how exactly the sleeveless look made most of the boys look at her. She could only hope her date wouldn’t be immune.

"I don’t like who you’re wearing it for…"

Her father had been grumbling about it since she’d returned. He didn’t like her being with the man he owed money to. Who owned his business. But he couldn’t deny how Gold was more lenient on the rent now, no doubt for Belle’s sake.

"It’s only Rumple." She told her father, but couldn’t deny one bit the flare in her cheeks.

"I don’t understand how my little girl could be destined for such a…beast." He grumbled.

"Don’t be mean! He’s not a beast."

"Yes well. Must be a soul mates thing…"

~

"So is Belle gonna be my new mom?"

"Bae!" Gold glared at his son from across the room.

Neal only laughed. “What? I’m serious.”

"I barely know the girl…"

Neal shrugged and went back to the mug of coffee he’s been nursing as he watched his father try and pick out a tie to wear. He’d picked up on the fact that he only fussed over his ensemble when he and Belle had something planned. Or when he planned to surprise her with a visit.

"Yeah but aren’t you supposed to be destined for each other? True Love or whatever?"

"Perhaps. If you believe in old legends that came from who-knows-where." Gold grumbled, settling on a blue tie and starting on the knot.

"You know I do."

"Yes well…some of us were not lucky enough to find our soul mates in college."

"No you met her when you called for customer support. Don’t you think that’s a bit too convenient?"

"How do you mean?"

"I dunno. Must be a soul mates thing."

~

"So. Gold."

"Yep."

Emma and her son Henry had joined her in walking down the street to the pawn shop. A paper bag with her favorite dish from Granny’s was in her hands. She hadn’t expected Gold to have a son. Or a grandson.

"So I’ll be calling you grandma soon huh?" The boy said, all smiles.

Belle’s cheeks burned. “You know…Belle is fine.”

Emme laughed at that, then shook her head. “Well I’m happy for you I guess.” She said. “I have to warn you though it’s not easy. The stories make it sound so easy but with me and Neal…well let’s say sometimes it’s rough.”

"But they pull through!" Henry objected, defending his parents and their relationship. It was adorable. "Really they’ve ever not been fine in the end."

"Really?" Belle asked, finding it oddly comforting.

"Yeah. I think its a soul mates thing."

~

"Seems someone’s taken a shine to the new librarian." Regina said from across her desk as she looked over some paperwork.

Gold lounged back in one of the chairs across from her. He’d just made a rather charitable donation to the Library, though the building belonged to Belle as far as he was concerned, this would be plenty to fix the place up and getting quite a few new books.

"Well I did appoint her that myself." He said easily.

"Really? I heard you practically up and served the library to her on a silver platter."

"The town talks too much."

"Indeed." She looked up from her work to him. They’d always had a complicated relationship, but not an unpleasant one. "So. She’s Belle?"

"She’s Belle." He confirmed, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Well then. Glad some old legend of pixie dust could find you someone. You deserve it."

"Am I sensing some sarcasm, madame mayor?"

"Not at all. In fact, I’d like to meet her. I was afraid I was the only one who apparently had a fairy tale character for my soul mate." She looked to her left palm. "Honestly who would name their child Robin Hood?"

"At least it’s not John." Gold offered, moving to stand. "Chin up. You’ll find him."

"You believe that?"

"Of course. Don’t you believe everyone deserves a happy ending?"

Regina only laughed, but the hope in her eyes betrayed her words. “Must be a soul mates thing.”

~

The bell to the shop jingled, and Gold was genuinely surprised when Belle appeared.

"Belle. I hadn’t been expecting you." He said, immediately dropping his work to move towards her.

"I know." She said, offering him a bag that no doubt had lunch in it. "I thought you might be hungry. Are you…is a hamburger okay?"

"I was in one of my rare moods for those. And somehow you knew. Must be a…"

She giggled. “Soul mates thing?”

Gold chuckled. You too?”

"Yes. From everyone."


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the plane ride back home, Belle and Gold share a few things about each other, and Gold realizes he might be hopeless.

Gold fidgeted beside Belle. His soul mate. The one whose name had been on his hand since he was 18. It seemed so surreal. She looked at him with a small smile.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course, Dearie. I just…I don’t much like flying."

"Me niether." She admitted. "This is the first time I’ve flown first class before though."

"Well I couldn’t have us riding in coach could I? Too cramped."

He stretched out his right leg as if to punctuate that. He gave her a sheepish smile that looked almost shy as she eyed his ankle curiously.

"Old injury." He explained. "Never healed properly."

"We all have those." Belle said with a smile. "Just not all visible."

Gold blinked, his heart stuttering in his chest. He was grown. He should not be feeling like a lovestruck schoolboy. But here he was, sitting beside this petite brunette looking at the clouds out the window who he now knew liked to read and write and wanted to travel and he was considering giving her the library just to see her smile like that again. He owned it. It would be easy.

"So where have you flown before?" He asked in an attempt to make conversation and not be so pathetic beside the woman he was destined to be with.

Belle blinked at him, as if surprised he’d asked. “Oh. Nowhere exciting. This route actually. Storybrooke to Manhatten and back.”

"Really?"

"Yep. Every holiday season and summer." She didn’t look like she would continue, but he tilted his head at her in general interest and she did. "My parents. They uh…they divorced when I was young. So I did a lot of flying back to Storybrooke to see Dad."

"I assume you called to tell him you were coming back."

"Oh yes! He’s very excited. He’s preparing my old room. And I think Ruby’s already got a girls night planned."

Suddenly she was giggling, and Gold frowned. “What?”

"Nothing I just wish I could have seen their faces. Apparently you being my soul mate is surprising.

He couldn’t imagine why. But then Belle was the one looking shy, and he realized perhaps he was not the only one who had been instantly smitten. Gold tried not to stare as she looked back out the window and traced his name on her palm absently. Without even having to look. It stirred something in him he hadn’t felt in far too long. He was turning into a fool.

A damn fool.

To hell with it.

"Belle?" His voice cracked but she still turned to him. "Would you like a library?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ashadeofpemberley of Tumblr prompted: Could we maybe see a fic in this verse (Storybrooke version or FTL) where Belle meets Bae? - Belle meets Gold’s son, and realizes her nerves were not needed.

The car ride from the airport back to Storybrooke was a quiet one. It wasn’t a bad quiet, though. And at some point her hand had found his on the Caddilac’s clutch and she stroked her thumb’s pad over his wrist. Maybe it was because his hand was trembling. In fact, he looked incredibly nervous. Not that she wasn’t.

“There’s something I need to tell you…” Rumple, that’s what she was calling him at the very least when it was just them, said. Yes. He was nervous.

Though, so was she. They passed a big sign that said “Welcome to Storybrooke,” and just like that, she was home. It felt right.

“Is this where you tell me you’re Batman?” Belle asked playfully.

He gave her a look suggesting she was crazy “What?”

“Well you own most of Storybrooke right? Are you the hero it deserves, but not the one it needs?”

“Hardly.” He grumbled, and they passed a road she knew would lead them to Jefferson’s mansion. “I...I have a son.”

Belle’s head snapped to him immediately, not sure how to take this new information. Rumple kept his eyes forward, refusing to meet hers. She hadn’t seen a ring. Was his wife out of the picture?

“His name is Baelfire. He’s grown now. With a son if his own.”

“You’re a grandfather too?”

He swallowed. “I was afraid if I told you...well I’m sorry.”

Belle frowned, crossing her arms. Part of her wanted to be mad, but the other part knew she would have paused if she’d known, and she didn’t want that either.

“His mother?” She asked, careful to keep her voice steady and low.

“Gone.” Rumple said immediately. “She...Well we both knew she wasn’t my soulmate. We married right out of high school because of Bae. She wasn’t happy. When Bae was 7 a group of Private Investigators showed up one day. He’d been looking for her.”

“She left.” Belle reasoned, a bit surprised. Soulmate or not, happy or not, how could someone just leave their husband? And child?

“Aye.”

She sighed, leaning back in her seat. “I suppose I can’t stay mad at you after a story like that.”

“I’ll make a sizable donation to your library to make up for it.” He vowed, managing to give her a smile.

They were in the square now, and the black caddilac was parked near Granny’s. Ruby had planned a “Welcome Home” party of sorts and Belle could see the crowd from the windows.

“Hey.” She said, catching his hand as he made a move to get out. “Did you...ever look for me?”

Rumple looked suddenly guilty. “No…” He admitted, and she tried to ignore the pang in her chest. “I...wasn’t in the best shape when Milah left. I didn’t really have much drive for these things...I suppose I just hoped one day…”

“You kept faith.”

“I did. I swear I did.”

Belle brought his hand to her lips, kissing her name on his palm. “Let’s go in.”

The crows was not as big as Belle thought, and she was grateful for that. She’d never been one for big parties anyway. She hugged her father, making him promise to behave, and then Ruby had whisked her off to mingle with Leroy, Mary Margaret, and Ariel. She’d never realized how many people in Storybrooke had found their soulmates as well.

“I still can’t believe yours was Gold.” Ruby said as she sipped the red wine she’d poured.

“At least yours wasn’t a nun.” Leroy mumbled. “Look, though, if he ever deserves a pickaxe to the other leg…”

“I’ll call you right away.” Belle promised with a laugh.

It wasn’t long before the bell was chiming again and the two more were slipping inside. A blonde Belle recognized as one of Ariel’s friends she’d met before, and a man behind her with darker hair but very similar eyes.

“Sorry we’re late.” The blonde, Emma in Belle remembered correctly, said as Rumple approached them and she took the hint to follow. “We had to wait until Henry was asleep.”

“No problem at all.” Rumple said, eyes bright with a smile. He turned to Belle, wrapping an arm around her waist. Were his hands shaking? “Belle, this is my son Baelfire, and his soulmate and wife, Emma.”

“Oh! You’re that Belle.” Emma said, looking between her and Rumple. “Yeah I can see it.”

“You know her?” Baelfire asked before Rumple could. She wondered if they realized how alike they were.

“We’re both friends of Ariel.” Belle explained. “We didn’t stay in touch much when I moved to Manhattan.”

“Well glad to meet you now.” Baelfire beamed at her and gave her a firm handshake. “Is it too soon to start calling you ‘mom’?”

“Bae!” Rumple hissed, the color on his cheeks making Belle giggle. Not that her cheeks didn’t burn just as much.

“C’mon papa I was only playing.”

Rumple looked as though he was ready to pull his son by the ear to a table, but he settled for a jostle of the arm as he picked out a booth and Baelfire followed.

“So. Mr. Gold.” Emma said, “He really isn’t so bad as everyone says.”

“I can tell.” Belle said earnestly.

“Nervous?”

She had been. She’d picked up her whole life and moved for this man. For her soulmate. For a legend no one was sure was really true anymore. Belle looked at her group of old friends as they chatted, and then to her new soulmate as he glared at his son from across the booth. Suddenly, everything felt right.

“No. Not anymore.”


End file.
